Death, Be Not Proud
by CrustyCrackers
Summary: Love. Sex. Pain. Hogwarts is not as innocent as it seems. Romances bloom and chaos ensues. Will they all make it in these dark, troubled times? WARNING: slash.
1. StarCrossed Lovers

"_When I fall, I fall hard. _

_I guess that's what I get for standin' so tall."_

_**-Socratic**_

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><p>They were lying on top of each other, panting, their clothes forming a tangled heap somewhere nearby.<p>

Draco moaned as Caius kissed a wet trail down his chest to his aching member.

He closed his eyes and let Caius continue his pleasuring ministrations. It didn't take long for him to come, his back arching, causing the autumn leaves beneath them to crackle, his moan carrying through the forest that was a part of the expansive Malfoy property.

"Shh," Caius soothed, hugging Draco to his bare chest, "you're fine."

Draco rested his leg across Caius' naked form and shivered. "I should get back," he whispered, staring at the Manor's twinkling lights in the distance. "If Father catches me I'm-"

Caius silenced him with a lingering kiss.

"No one's going to catch us, Draco," he murmured against his lips. "As long as you're with me, you're safe, I promise you that."

And Draco believed him.

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><p>"I'm glad you could all make it to this crucial staff meeting," Dumbledore smiled, standing up at the head of the long table. "I have a few…" he cast a glance at the brooding bunch in the corner, "-er, issues to discuss. I'm sure this meeting will, however, be over in no time, Professor Flitwick."<p>

Said Professor shifted uncomfortably in his seat, embarrassed to have been caught by the Headmaster staring at the enchanted clock that hung on the far wall.

"As you are all well aware, Hogwarts is a home and place of refuge to any who seek it. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that I have allowed these young (the clan in the corner burst into unceremonious coughing that disappeared at a glance from Dumbledore) vampires into the school."

The silence in the staff room was deafening and then, all at once, everyone began to mutter.

"What-" Professor Flitwick squeaked. "Albus, surely you're – joking…?"

"Filius, I assure you, I am not." Dumbledore silenced the room with a raise of his hand. "These vampires will remain at Hogwarts, unknowingly to all except the staff, so that they are able to protect our students here from Lord Voldemort and his followers. Whereas it takes a wizard or witch many spells to fight a Death Eater, with their speed, powers and strength, these young ones can dispose of them in mere seconds."

"But Dumbledore," Snape's face was contorted with rage, "I _urge_ you to reconsider."

"My decision is final," Dumbledore stated. "Now allow me to introduce to you the Cullens." He pointed at each of them in turn as he said their names: "Alice, Jasper, Edward, and Rosalie. I trust that they will be treated with the utmost respect," he added, looking sternly at each member of the staff.

"The Cullens will stay in a dormitory reserved specifically for them and, as a safety precaution; the location of their whereabouts shall remain unknown to all, even the staff." He smiled apologetically.

"Each Professor will, once a week, meet the Cullens, as pre-arranged with Hagrid, in the Forbidden Forest in order to teach those ways in which our guests may defend themselves from the magic of our kind."

Professor Snape looked ready to burst a vessel but he remained quiet with glares from the rest of the staff.

"And," Dumbledore announced happily, "that will be all! Any questions?"

"No," the staff chorused together, grumpily.

"Wonderful!" Dumbledore said, oblivious to the deathly glares being tossed at him one after the other from Snape. "The teaching schedule for the Cullens shall be sent out soon and, until then, happy teaching!"

He exited the room with the Cullens in tow, leaving behind his bewildered staff to deal with a _very_ furious Professor Snape.

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><p>The next day at 10:30 A.M., Harry watched the Dursleys make their way through King's Cross station after having dropped him off at Platform 9¾ (a feat they had not performed during Harry's previous five years at Hogwarts), huddled together, as if they were going to be attacked by one of "his kind" at any time.<p>

Harry rolled his eyes at their wariness and breathed a sigh of relief, glad to be rid of the Dursleys and returning to Hogwarts for his sixth year.

He focused on the wall in front of him and pushed his trolley towards it, determined to make it through in one try as he had in all previous years –and he did.

The Hogwarts Express stood there in all its glory, sunlight glinting off of it in an almost blinding fashion.

"Harry!" He turned towards the source of the sound to see Ron and Hermione hurrying towards him.

"How are you, Harry?" Hermione beamed, tossing her arms around his neck in a strangling hug.

"Hermione – get- off-"

"Oh, sorry," she blushed, "didn't mean to choke you…"

Ron grinned. "Come on, we've already found a compartment for ourselves."

"Where's Mrs. Weasley?" Harry scanned the heads in the crowd as they made their way onto the train.

"Oh, right," Ron said thoughtfully, pulling Harry's trunk onto the train. "She left early, some meeting she had to attend, or so she was saying – I wasn't really paying attention."

Harry felt disappointed – surely Mrs. Weasley's meeting could've waited for at least a few more minutes? But he dispelled any thoughts of the kind as they seated themselves in a compartment.

-0-

It was well into the night by now and Harry had to force himself to keep his eyes open. He watched the countryside whip by outside the window, stifling a yawn.

Suddenly the compartment door slid open.

"Well, well," drawled the infamous voice of Draco Malfoy," what do we have here: The Bookworm, Weasel, and Potty."

Crabbe and Goyle guffawed stupidly on either side of him.

"Get lost, Malfoy," Ron growled, clearly not pleased that his sleep was being disturbed.

Malfoy smirked. "What's that, Weasel? Can't stand to be in the presence of perfection?"

"I didn't know perfection came with the heavy price of an ugly hickey on your neck," Hermione retaliated.

Draco slapped his hand onto said body part, eyes widening in shock. He quickly rearranged his face back into a wall of impassive coolness, but the damage had been dealt.

"No need to be jealous, Granger, I'm sure someone with no eyesight wouldn't mind giving you one either." And with that, he swept out of their compartment and back down the corridor to his own.

After a brief moment of silence, Ron opened his mouth in outrage but Hermione cut him off:

"No, _Ronald_, we are not going to discuss Malfoy's hickey." She paused for a second, and then, "Or anything, rather, that is related to his love life or lack thereof."

Ron flushed, embarrassed. "I wasn't even thinking of…"

"Yeah, and I'm dating the Giant Squid."

Ron scowled and turned away from her in order to stop himself from retaliating.

Harry sighed.

_This is going to be a long night_, he thought, turning, once again, to gaze wistfully out the window.

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><p><strong>Writer: <strong>Sidra aka MisuzSirius

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><p><strong>AN: **There are just a few things I'd like to make clear to everyone:

**1)** As stated on our profile, this story is going to be written between two people. The idea is that we want to write one chapter each, so as to throw each other off course and make ourselves think fast to keep up with what the other is writing. It's a fun way we've come up with to challenge ourselves :) The end of each chapter will be signed off with whoever wrote it along with their username (as I've already done so for this chapter!). Links to individual account's can be found on our profile.

**2)** There is no Emmett Cullen in this story, sorry to disappoint. He just didn't fit in with the storyline, and so we… well, kicked him out, I suppose. Sorry once again!


	2. Start of a New Dawn

**Keep your head up kid, because there are people killing to see you fall. ~ Unknown **

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><p>"The feast was great!" Sighted Ron beside Harry as he, Hermione, and Ron were lounging in front on the fireplace, it was about 1:00 A.M, and everyone else was already in bed. It's been a while since the Gryffindor Golden Trio were together.<p>

'I wish life was always this simple' thought Harry as he looked at the smiling faces of his two best friends. 'No Dark Lord, no worrying about your nearly-escaped-death-of-a-godfather!'

"Harry," Hermione suddenly said, "Do you have a feeling this year is going to be different?"

Ron laughed. "Mione, if you mean _not_ fighting Lord You-Know-Who, Snape giving us detention, and Malfoy getting us into trouble, then yes. Then yes, this year is going to be different from what we usually expect!"

Harry grinned at that. It would be a gift to have a normal year at Hogwarts.

Hermione shook her head, "No, that's not what I mean. I don't know, however, for some reason or the other, the atmosphere in Hogwarts feels dissimilar."

Ron blinked. "English please!"

Before Hermione could yell at Ron for being an idiot, Harry explained, "She means different Ron, and Hermione," Harry said putting her head down on her pat, "I agree. It feels like there is something new about it. Something unexplained. I felt it the moment the carriage entered Hogwarts. It's like the wards around Hogwarts changed!"

"You mean like the impenetrable feeling as if something is watching us. Listening to our conversations. But, at the same time, it's not harming us?" Ron said.

Hermione and Harry looked at him with eye wide open as they nodded.

"What?" Ron asked in confused seeing his friends look at him surprise.

"Yo-you, you …" Hermione stuttered.

Harry laughed at Hermione's shocked expression, "What she means Ron," Harry continued for Hermione, "Is that you sounded _very _intelligent right now. Not something you usually say, or sound like. I think Mione's shocked that you can actually be smart!"

"HEY!"

Laughter could be heard throughout the Gryffindor Tower as it echoed like the sound of music.

-MS-

"So Alice," Edward said as the vampires lounged lazily around their 'common room' as Dumbledore called it. "Anything interesting?"

The girl named Alice, not any bigger than 5'0" literally bounced from one couch to another until she settled on the 'Femininity Sofa' as Rosalie named it. "Nope, nothing new. I had a vision of a boy with a camera taking pictures of the lake tonight. For what I gathered, he's from Gryffindor, so it's best not to go skinny dipping in the lake tonight!"

"Hey!" came a soft melodious voice from the corner of the room. "It's not my fault that the lake looks so elegant!"

"Right Rose. And you never wanted to flash someone!" Alice stated.

Edward laughed as they felt a calm wave wash over them. "Jasper," Alice cried. "Stop that!"

The guy named Jasper walked into the common room, he was breath-taking. Looked like someone straight out a romance novel. With the height of 5'9" and topaz eyes like the rest of vampire, any girl, and some guy would die for him. "Why Alice? Whatever did I do?"

Alice glared at him, although it wasn't as freighting seeing that the couch she sat in looked like she was being eaten by it, stuffed with pillows and all.

"So Edward," Jasper said as he sat in front of fire, making his look even more striking than ever. "How are the thoughts of magical teenage kids?"

Edward laugh, "Wouldn't you like to believe it. Trust me when I say it's filled with lust, sex, lots of sex."

Rosalie raised her eyebrow, "Interesting, let's hear it then. I wonder what's got you so amused; after all, you do live with vampires."

Edward smirked. "Well," he said seductively, "As of right now, a girl name Susan is getting all hot and heavy with a guy name Ernie, and another guy name Zacharias." Edward concentrated a bit more then continued to the amusement of the other vampires in the room, "Currently, Zacharias is fucking, dog style I must add, while Ernie is fucking her mouth, as well as her breast."

Rosalie frowned in disgust. "Kids these days," she muttered, "No sense of dignity, or pride, how can any respectable women let herself be used like that?"

Alice shook her head in agreement.

Jasper sighted as he tried to calm Rosalie down. "Times have changed greatly, some for better, other for worse."

"Well," Edward said as he tried to ease the tension in the room, "She is wearing nipple clams, and it looks like their darn painful, maybe you should try them Rose!"

"EDWARD!" Came shouts from three different vampires.

-MS-

The next morning the students were up bright and early eagerly waiting for the start of their new class, while many of the fifth years looked nervous for their upcoming OWL's.

"Don't worry Ginny," Hermione told Ron's sister as they were eating breakfast while waiting for their daily mail. "Pay attention in class; follow the professor's advice, and revise your textbooks from previous years. It will help."

"Dong't worggy Giney." Ron said his mouth full of pancakes. "Its eagy."

The girls rolled their eyes and continued talking while Harry looked at the professors table, as usual, there were the Head House Professors, the Headmaster, Hagrid, Sinistra the Astronomy professor, Babbling the Ancient Runes professor, Burbage the Muggle studies professor, Hooch, the Arithmancy professor, Vector, Trelawney the Divinations professor, Cattlecorn the Magic Arts professor, Bloomsbird the Magical Music professor, Cryon the Ghoul Studies professor, and lastly, the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, Bill Weasley!

When Dumbledore announced it last light it was a sock to even Ron and Ginny, Neither of them knew that Bill was their new professor.

"Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall said sharply breaking Harry out of his deep thoughts. He looked around to see the other Head Houses were also handing out time tables.

"Sorry Professor," Harry said, his cheeks reddening, "I was thinking."

McGonagall nodded her head, "I could see that, put your thinking on your studies this year and everything will work out fine."

"Yes madam!"

McGonagall moved on handing the rest of the Gryffindors' their timetables for the year.

"What electives are you taking this year Harry, Ron, Hermione?" Asked Dean, who was sitting across from Harry.

"I'm taking Magical Arts, Advanced Runes, and Care of Magical Creatures." Replied Hermione, and going back to her conversation with Ginny, which were joined by Parvati and Lavender.

"I'm only taking Divinations and COMC!" Said Ron. "What about you Harry?"

"I am taking Care of Magical Creatures, Magical Arts, and Magical Music; I dropped History, and Divinations!"

"WHAT?" Ron yelled gulping down milk. "What do you mean you dropped Divinations? It was the easiest course!"

Dean, Seamus, and Neville nodded their heads in agreement. Looked like they all were taking Divinations. Harry sighted.

"It's a waste of my time. I don't need to be told the ways I am going to die." Those who were listening to Harry flinched at the comment. "Plus, Magical Music seems more interesting. Remember the thing with Fluffy Ron!"

Ron nodded their head as the other Gryffindors looked confused. "Who's Fluffy?" asked Neville.

Harry smirked. "Remember the incident with Malfoy in first year Neville? Remember the dog? He's Fluffy!"

Neville paled remembering the three headed dog which still gave him nightmares.

Looking at Dean and Seamus' still confused, Neville started to explain the story of Fluffy when the bells rang, signaling the start of class in ten minutes. "Come Hermione" Harry yelled over the noise of the students, "We better head to potions!"

Hermione nodded her head as she followed Harry. It would be weird not to have Ron in their class any longer, but, it was life. Nothing she could do about it.

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><p><strong>Writer: <strong>Novera aka MirzeSnape

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><p><strong>Authors Note: As you reads have realized this story is going to written by two authors as a challenge to one another. You can find our individual stories in the authors profile of CrustyCrackers, where the links to our account are provided. <strong>

**Moving on the the matter of the story, firstly, I am not a great writer as MisuzSirius, thus, don't compare the two of us! :D Anyways, we want REVIEWS! please. Its the only way to motivate us, (we're lazy. trust me!)! So please give us your feedback. Tell us what you think. Where u think the story is heading, frankly, I don't know myself. Concluding my endless babbling, REVIEW. Tell me (us) how this story was. **

**With love,**

**MirzeSnape**


	3. Slow Death

_"As I make my slow pilgrimage through the world, a certain sense of beautiful mystery seems to gather and grow."_

**- A.C. Benson**

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><p>"Good morning," Hermione practically sang as she seated herself down next to Harry and Ron.<p>

"What's so bloody good about this morning?" grumbled Ron, and Harry couldn't help but nod in agreement.

Despite the negative feedback to her simple "good morning", her smile didn't cease to exist or even falter. In fact, if anything, it brightened.

"Well, for starters, we all have Care of Magical Creatures first period with Hagrid-"

"Whoop-di-doo," Ron interjected sarcastically.

She ignored him and carried on, "-and then we've got Magical Arts! I've been looking forward to that class all summer!"

Ron scowled deeply. "Easy for you to say - I've got Ghoul Studies with Professor Cryon. I'm sure he'll stand true to his name and make me cry on and on and on..."

"So you decided to listen to McGonagall and take Ghoul Studies now, did you," mused Harry. "Good luck."

"Decided? She practically forced me!" He imitated her voice, "_Weasley, I am by no means trying to scare you or force you into making this decision but... actually, set that statement aside, I'm signing you up for Ghoul Studies!_"

Hermione snorted into her pumpkin juice but, at a glare from Ron, attempted to pass it off as a cough.

...Which, in turn, lead to a coughing _fit_ as she proceeded to choke on her juice.

Fifteen minutes later, after turning red in the face, spitting out pumpkin juice all over Dean who was seated innocently across the table, and leaving Ron with a hand imprint across his left cheek for attempting mouth-to-mouth resuscitation ("I'm not that desperate to live either!") which lead to a horrible and seemingly endless argument between the two, the trio finally managed to make their way down to Hagrid's hut.

"Good mornin' you three!" Hagrid greeted them cheerfully, oblivious to the glares Ron and Hermione were sending each other's way. "Gather round now, I've got somethin' excitin' planned for my very firs' lesson o'the year!"

He ushered them towards the edge of the Forbidden Forest where the rest of the class was assembled. Many people looked nervous and quite a few were peering around as if they expected something very large and ugly to pop out of the trees. Though knowing Hagrid, that probably wasn't out of the question.

"Alrigh' you lot. This lesson took me alotta plannin' and I'm sure you'll enjoy what I've got contained in these crates." He pointed toward the pile of crates that were stacked in the middle of the semi-formed circle that consisted of both Gryffindors and Ravenclaws alike.

Hermione raised her hand tentatively. "What exactly... is in those crates?"

Most of the class nodded in agreement, eyeing them apprehensively.

Hagrid beamed. "Lentusmortis!"

Hermione gasped. "L-lentus... mortis?"

"What the hell is that?" Harry whispered to Ron.

"I haven't the faintest clue," he replied.

Hagrid, who had heard their not-so-secretive whispering, boomed, "Care to explain for this lot, eh, Hermione?"

Hermione glared at the two of them ("What'd I do?" exclaimed Harry, to which Ron replied quietly, "Barking mad, that one... you'll be next Harry.") but told the class of the strange creatures anyway, almost bursting with the information.

"Lentusmortis are actually two separate words, and each comes from a different langauge. Lentus means, in Latin, slow, while in French, mortis means... well - death."

She paused for a brief second and then continued, "They're tiny creatures that can fit in the palm of your hand but you shouldn't let their size fool you... they can roar as loud as a full-grown dragon if irritated and, if provoked to an extreme level, they become large beasts."

"10 points for Gryffindor! Couldn't have summed it up better myself!"

Hermione beamed at Hagrid.

"Now, I wan' you all to keep what Hermione said in mind, form groups of four, carry a crate to a secluded area, an' begin befriending yer Lentusmortis. For further instructions, open yer books to page... erm..."

"275, Hagr- er, Professor," Hermione supplied helpfully.

"...Righ'. Go on then!"

Everyone rushed towards the pile of crates at once. Despite his best efforts to do the same, Harry was pushed to the outside of the thronging crowd.

Thankfully, Ron managed to procure them a crate and, together with Neville and Hermione, they moved farther away from the class and closer to the edge of the forest.

Hermione, as always, immediately assumed her role as leader, which Harry and Ron happily let her get away with each time.

"Alright, so, everyone should just pick a Lentusmortis and sort of treat it as if it were a.." she thought for a second. "I suppose, a cat? Scratch it behind its ears, play with it, you know the drill."

They all nodded their heads in false agreement.

The Lentusmortis were wee creatures consisting of each shade of every color possible, sometimes even two or more. They had fluffy ears that seemed slightly too large for bodies of their size, as well as tiny, fang-like teeth.

Harry's was rainbow-colored and, as he lifted it to his eyes and it emitted a gentle cooing sound, he doubted that it could let out a tiny roar, let alone transform into a gigantic beast.

Near the end of the lesson, as Harry lay on the grass with his Lentusmortis tucked safely inside the crook of his arm, releasing snores that shook its tiny body, he felt an obscure thrill of alarm sweep over him.

He propped himself up on one arm and observed the scene in front of him. Everything appeared to be normal...

... that is, aside from the shaking trees to his far right.

"Who's there?" he called out.

"The ghosts of the future..." someone whispered back.

"Shut up, Al!" groaned another voice.

"Just having a bit of fun... ouch!"

And then they were gone.

"Harry?"

Harry whipped around, pulling his wand out to find Ron standing behind him with his hands up.

"Whoa, whoa, relax..." he gave him a weird look. "It's just me... c'mon, class is over, let's go."

Harry scrambled to his feet, his temporary moment of shock over. "Wait! Didn't you hear those voices?"

Ron groaned. "Mate, please, enough with the voices-"

"C'mon you lot!" Hagrid interrupted. "The next class'll be here in abou' two minutes!"

"Tell you later," Harry mumbled, rushing to drop off his Lentusmortis. "Let's just get out of here."

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><p><strong>Writer: <strong>MisuzSirius

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><p><strong>AN: **Sort of rushed, I promise the next will be better! Please review, criticism would be great (though no flaming!).


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